


The Truth

by Imzadi_Deanna



Series: Star Trek Bingo 2020 [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Fem!Trek, Femslash, Genderbend, Jim’s a real brat in this one, Mind Reading, gratuitous use of an ion storm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25944007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imzadi_Deanna/pseuds/Imzadi_Deanna
Summary: “Just being my usual charming self.” She played off. Feeling her face heat up in embarrassment.Bones continued to watch her, an intense look on her face.I wonder how far that blush really goes.She felt her face heat up even more. Oh god. She wasn’t going to judge Bone’s for her random stray thoughts, she’d be such a hypocrite if she did. But, fuck, why did she have to have them now of all times.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Series: Star Trek Bingo 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1882945
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	The Truth

“Stop being so liberal with your booster shots.” Jim sassed, swatting at the hand that Bone’s held the Hypo in.

“Stop pissing Spock off and you wouldn’t get so many  _ ‘Jim’s being a shit’ _ vitamin boosters.” She sassed back.

“It’s not my fault she doesn’t take my position of Moral Booster seriously.” Jim squirmed around on the bio bed, leaning away as Bones pressed the canister into the Hypospray. The click echoing like a gunshot in the noisy medbay.

“Keep acting like there's ants in your pants and I’ll give you a sedative as well.”

“We both know I ain’t wearing pants, Bones.” 

It took Jim much longer than it should have to realise the overhead lights had started to flicker in medbay. The emergency generators failed to kick in with the fluctuating power. In her defence, she had her eyes squeezed shut as her best friend stabbed her exceedingly violently with a hypospray. 

“Hold still ya big baby.” Bones grumbled, an odd blush on her face, rubbing the spot on Jim’s neck to sooth out the sting.

It didn’t help. She pouted up at Lenora as the lights finally settled. 

“Y’know no one else complains as much as you do.” She said with a shake of her head as Jim continued to pout at her.

“That’s cause you’re gentle with them,” She complained. “You and Chris like to  _ stab _ me.”

**Damn brat.**

Jim paused. Knowing for a fact that she heard Bones say those words but her mouth hadn’t moved.

“What did you say?” She asked anyway.

Lenora gave her a weird look. “I didn’t say anything.” She stared Jim down, a concerned look on her face.

Before Jim could say anything else the medbay doors opened, a group of engineers coming in with seemingly matching wounds. Lenora darted her eyes away for a moment before focusing back on Jim.

**Damn, bet it was that power outage.**

“Probably.” Jim replied. 

Lenora narrowed her eyes at Jim,“What?”

“I . . . Nothing, I don’t know.” She shook her head, stupid shot must have fried her brain. “Dinner tonight?”

“Yeah.” Bones smiled at her, patting her on her knee as she moved back.“See ya after shift.”

“Don’t jinx me,” Jim smiled as Lenora shook her head, eyes never leaving hers.

**I love you.** “You’re such a brat.”

She watched Lenora walk away towards the engineers as she did her dress back up, slipping out before Bones decided that Jim could use a second hypo, just because it was a day ending with Y. 

She almost changed her mind as vertigo slammed into her, she placed her hand on the biobed, taking a deep breath. 

. . . That was weird.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A hypothesis started to form in Jim’s mind as she went about another seemingly mundane shift on the bridge. 

Besides the Ion storm they had passed by close enough to gather readings from

_ “‘all results, even mundane ones, can go into helping us understand the magnitude of ion storms, Captain.”’  _ Nothing was happening. No subspace transmissions, no run ins with another starship, not even a sun close enough play  _ ‘guess the planet class’ _

Nothing. Besides her seemingly new ability to read thoughts directed at her.

Sure. Sure, yeah. She definitely should inform Spock that something was wrong. And yeah, she should definitely be heading back down to sickbay and allowing Bones to poke and prod her. 

But first. 

“Uhura?” She waited until her Officer was giving her her full attention. “Think of a random number, I bet I can guess it.”

Nyota audible sighed, closing her eyes briefly before shooting a look at Jim that told her exactly what Nyota thought of her games even if Jim hadn’t been able to read her mind. 

“Are you thinking of one?”

“Is that your guess?” 

Jim laughed, “No, wait let me think.” She curled her fingers around her chin and narrowed her eyes at Nyota, pretending to be thinking hard.

**303235**

“303235” Nyota‘s eyes widened.

“Did I get it right?” Jim said smugly.

“No.” She turned back to her station.

“Aww c’mon.” Jim pouted at the back of her head, Nyota refused to turn back around no matter how many times she called her name. “No fun.”

“Nyota is not here to entertain you, Captain.” Spock’s impassioned voice spoke up, always quick to step in when Jim started being particularly insufferable.

Jim turned around in her chair, going for a dramatic edge as she sized Spock up. Not shying away from making direct eye contact with the vulcan and holding it.

**kanbu**

She narrowed her eyes, sure she’d just been insulted but not entirely sure how. She knew just enough vulcan to not humiliate herself on diplomatic missions. Though if this was going to be a regular thing now she’d definitely have to learn.

For evil purposes, naturally.

For now though. Jim stuck her tongue out at Spock. Snickering as her first seemed to almost shake her head at Jim’s antics. She was counting that as an emotional response. 

She swivelled back around in her chair, letting her head rest on her hand where she had it propped up on the arm of the chair. 

“Chekhov.” She called out to her younger crew member. “If we were to plot a course to say . . . Risa. How long would it take to get there at warp eight?”

“Sir?” 

“By your best estimate.”

“W . . . I. Would take sixteen hours, sir.” He stuttered out, not being subtle at all as he looked at the other bridge members. You’d think he’d be used to her antics by now. “Should I plot a course, captain?”

“Negative, Ensign.” She spoke up before Spock could. She could practically feel the annoyed glare Spock was sending to the back of her head. Not that she’d admit to glaring. 

Or maybe that was just another new fun addition to her sudden mind reading ability. 

She would also be using this for evil, naturally.

“Chekhov” She said again, the boy turned around, giving her wide eyes that made her think of a certain baby deer. “If we were to plot a course for . . . Wrigley’s pleasure planet, at say, warp four. How long would we take to get there.

**Three weeks, four days and thirteen hours** “I am unsure captain.” 

Oh. That was interesting. 

“Best guess.”

Chekhov turned back to his station, seeming to tap out the information into his computer before turning back to his captain. “About three and a half weeks, sir.”

“Interesting.”

“Captain?”

“Hey, Spock.” She swivelled back around in her chair, very aware of the eyes of her crew watching her. “Who do you think can compute things faster. You or Chekov?”

“While Ensign Chekov does possess well above average intelligence and an aptitude for mathematics, my extensive Vulcan education and intellect allows me the distinct advantage.” 

Which basically boiled down to spock's version of ‘ _ Me, obviously.’ _

“You sure about that?” She couldn’t help but push. “I reckon if we could somehow see into those big brains of yours. Chekov would have the answer first. I’d put money on you just being able to answer faster.”

At the same time her gaze snapped back to Chekov, eyes meeting, Jim jumped out of her chair.

A high pitched scream felt like it was slamming against the walls of her skull.

“Jim?” Came Spock's alarmed voice. Jim wasn’t sure when she had made her way over to her, a hand on her elbow stopping her from falling over. 

“W-did you hear that?” Jim could still feel it ringing around in her head, however it had started to fade. “The scream?”

“There was no noise, Captain.” Spock's eye seemed to pierce into hers. Jim wondered not for the first time just how much her first officer could pick up from her. Spock’s thoughts racing quicker than Jim could even begin to decipher then, she broke eye contact. The thoughts stopped.

Jim looked back over at Chekov, who was looking at her, his skin more pale than usual. “Captain?”

She shook her head as if trying to clear out the last of the scream. “Never mind.” She pulled her elbow out of Spock's grip and sat back down. “Back to your station, Miss Spock.”

Spock hesitated, so minutely she’s not sure if anyone else would have noticed, before seemingly deciding to drop the matter and leave for her own station. Vertigo lapped at Jim’s consciousness like a wave, threatening to pull her under and blank out her vision. She tried to take deep, measured breaths. Promising herself that, if it didn’t go away soon, she would tell bones. 

The shift began to pass by uneventfully, Jim having learnt her lesson pretty fast under the pining glare Spock would shoot her if she so much as twitched in a crew member's direction. Just like Nyota; she had the ability to convey her exact thoughts with just a few twitches of her facial muscles.

She wondered if they had taken a class back at the academy, or if it just came naturally. When she was allowed to interact without the threat of a slow death she’d be sure to ask.

. . . 

. . . 

She’d never been the most patient person.

‘Hey Sp-“ She started, getting no further before a pile of PADDs were shoved in her face. Arms moving automatically to catch them all.

“Captain, these require your urgent attention. They are all the reports from this morning's ship wide power failures.” Spock said, infuriatingly calm as she struggled to hold onto them all. “I highly recommend you find an area with the appropriate surface measurements to give them the attention they require.”

She was over explaining. As good a sign as any that she had been pushed too far. With as much dignity she could manage she stood up and moved to the ready room attached to the bridge.

Wondering if the audible sigh she heard was what everyone was simply thinking or if they had  _ actually _ let out sighs of relief. 

She chose to believe it was the former. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Jim practically skipped down the halls of her ship as she made her way to Lenora's quarters. The paperwork had taken up the rest of her shift and then some. Bones had even had to comm her to yell about where she was. It was fine though! Because that meant the dinner would be waiting for her.

And it meant she had had plenty of time to form hypotheses about her new abilities. 

Hypotheses that Bones would be her unknowing partner in testing.

She schooled her features into a casual smile and a relaxed posture as she rang for entrance to bone’s quarters. 

“ ‘bout damn time you got here.” Bones grumbled, moving to let Jim in. “Uniform dinner, huh?”

Lenora had changed into a comfy pair of sweats, looking relaxed compared to Jim. This didn’t happen often.

“I came straight here from shift.”

This was the perfect time to test one of her Hypotheses

She made her way to Lenora’s closet, throwing the correct draws open and shucking off her dress. Keeping an eye on Lenora from the corner of her eye.

She didn’t receive any stray thoughts. Bones was very deliberately looking away, another blush staining her face. 

. . . Interesting.

She quickly threw more of Bones’ comfy clothes on, clothes she’s not entirely convinced weren’t actually hers to begin with.

“Bones.” She called out to get her attention. Not answering until she was looking at her directly. “Are these mine?” She gestured to the clothes she was wearing.

**Yes** . “No.”

Very interesting.

“You sure?”

**No** . “Yeah, obviously.” 

“Ok. Sure. No worries, Bones.” She sat in the chair closest to the door, her chair.

“You’ve been acting weird all day. Don’t think for a second Spock didn’t bitch to me about your behaviour.” Bones grumbled at her, sitting down on the opposite side and taking the covers off their food trays. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She lied.

“Ok. Sure. No worries. Jim.” She mocked her earlier statement. Jim replied by sticking an over filled fork of pasta straight into her mouth, cheeks bulging as she glared at bones. 

“You’re so gross.”

“You love me.“ She said through a mouthful of food.

**Yeah** . “Unfortunately.”

That was a nice little confirmation. She knows she pisses Bone’s off a lot, but it was nice to know her friend wasn’t just putting up with her. 

Not that bones would have been quiet if she  _ actually _ couldn’t stand Jim. It wasn’t in her nature.

“Hey, people would die for the privilege to love and be loved by me.”

Bones rolled her eyes, deliberately looking away from Jim and back down to her food instead. 

Ok. So it only worked if there was direct eye contact. And the thought was about her. 

Oddly specific.

Jim waited to ask more probing questions until Lenora had finished eating, making sure she was getting eye contact from her friend before she continued her questions.

“Do you think I’m a good leader?”

**Obviously** . “Obviously.”

Ok she would have known that without being able to read her mind.

“Hey Bones. How would you describe me?”

**Mine** . “Annoying. What’s with all the questions.”

Jim stumbled out a response, not entirely sure what she said as her heart seemed to beat in her ears, sounding mysteriously like an echo of Lenora’s thoughts,  _ mine, mine, mine. _

What the fuck did that mean?

Lenora was glaring at her. “What?”

“Nothing.” The doctor sighed. Hesitating and seeming to think before continuing. “No, actually. Not nothing. I had an interesting talk with Chekov, too.”

“Ok?” Where was she going with this?

“Says you made some strange comments. Then acted weirdly afterwards.”

. . . Had Chekov caught on to the fact that she had been reading his mind?

No. Someone would have said something by now if they thought that.

Or they would have thought that. And she would have caught the thought.

“Just being my usual charming self.” She played off. Feeling her face heat up in embarrassment.

Bones continued to watch her, an intense look on her face.

**I wonder how far that blush really goes.**

She felt her face heat up even more. Oh god. She wasn’t going to judge Bone’s for her random stray thoughts, she’d be such a hypocrite if she did. But, fuck, why did she have to have them now of all times. 

“Heard you almost fainted too. Why didn’t you come to me?”

“I, look it wasn’t. It wasn’t that bad really. I got a little dizzy. It was fine.”

**She’s so cute when she stumbles over her words.**

Oh that wasn’t going to help her organise her thoughts any better. “And, busy, you're busy, in Medbay. I, I, I stumbled. A little. But it was fine. I got through the shift. Now I’m here.”

“Are you sure.” She said, ever the professional doctor. With her words at least. “Because we can go to Medbay now. Check to see if everything is actually ok?”

Maybe this could be her out? Her way of coming clean without actually coming clean that she could read thoughts. If bones just happened to find her low or high in something and fixed it. Maybe that would fix the issue. 

Or she could even blame the new ability on the ‘cure’

**Or maybe I can get her to stay, watch a holovid, put my arm around her shoulder and . . .**

The thought trailed off, a picture of them on the couch filtered into Jim’s mind, bones arm around her shoulder as Jim leaned into her, trailing along her upper arm before being daring and reaching to run just her fingertips over the fabric where he nipples would b-

She almost physically shook her head to stop the thought, unsure if it had been a projection from Bones or her own dirty imagination. Things were getting out of hand. She should find an excuse to leave.

She needed to think, take in all the facts. She couldn’t exactly come clean now that she could read Len’s thoughts. That would embarrass her friend.

And it might make it harder to become something more than friends.

Something Jim was only fully realising she wanted more than anything.

She opened her mouth to make her excuse, being cut off by bones before she could however with the promise of dessert. Already out of her seat and at the replicator to punch in the correct sequence for Jim’s all time favourite.

She could  **definitely** stay for dessert. 

Jim moaned at the taste, she didn’t get to indulge in the ‘sugary nightmare’ nearly as much as she wanted to, now that she had bones carefully monitoring her diet.

**Wonder if she’d make the same noise with my fingers between her legs.**

Jim choked on the spoon. Spluttering out cream all over her hands as she frantically tried to stop it from covering the desk.

Bones was scowling down at her, having gotten up to grab Jim a cloth as she was coughing up her lungs.

**You can read my mind.**

It was more of a statement than a question. Jim knew she was caught.

Taking the time to wipe her hands and mouth Jim finally raised her hands in a placating gesture. “I can explain.”

“How long has this been going on.” Bones demanded to know, reaching for the tricorder she kept in her personal quarters.

Because of course her best friend kept a damn tricorder within arms reach at all times.

“Depends. How long have you known.” She dodged the hand that came up to slap her on the back of her head.

“This is serious, Jim.” She growled at her. “And you weren’t exactly subtle on the bridge earlier. Even a damn Klingon coulda figured it out. I just wanted to confirm it.”

Oh. So that’s what all those thoughts had actually been.

That made more sense actually. 

“Bones, c’mon. It’s fine.” Jim whined, pushing down the hurt she felt as she pushed herself away from the table as well, making Bones follow her around in a loop around the small quarters. 

She didn’t have to make this easy for her. 

“It’s not fine something’s gone wrong in that damn fool head of yours.” She spat out. “Sit down or I swear I’ll drag your ass to medbay and let the whole med staff know that we’ve got another medical mystery, thanks to you.”

“It’s not my fault.” Jim protested hotly, throwing herself down on the couch. 

“Oh pull the other one, Jim.” Lenora hovered over her, running the diagnostic tool over her face. “Did you meld with spock, again?”

“No.”

“Eat mysterious spores again because they, and I’m quoting you directly here.  _ ‘Looked like they’d taste how crunchy leaves sound’ _ ?”

“No.”

“Stick a metal object on a live wire?”

“Why would I- how dumb do you think I am? That’s like the first thing they teach you  _ not _ to do in engineering 101.”

“A class I have no doubt you barely attended.”

“Still got straight A’s.”

**And meant you spent more time in the mornings with me**

“Yeah, you were always still so fucked up monday mornings. Couldn’t in good faith leave you.” Jim agreed with a smile.

“Don’t read my damn mind.” Lenora leaned back. “Besides we all know that was just an excuse so you didn’t have to go to class.”

“No it wasn’t”

“Shut up, Jim.”  **Pity for the poor divorcee**

“No seriously.” Jim reached up and grabbed Len’s wrist before she could pull away. Heart clenching in her chest at her thoughts “I wanted to spend any time with you I could. We had such opposing schedules that first year. And we weren’t roommates yet. But you’d let me crash on Sunday nights and I never wanted to leave after.”

Lenora’s face soften from the seemingly permanent scowl she had been wearing  **I love you** “You’re such a brat”

The surprise must have shown on Jim’s face at her unintentional confession. 

“Jim, I.” She tore her hand out of Jim’s grip. “Sorry that was, I shouldn’t have.”

“You love me.” Jim interrupted. Finally putting all the pieces together in their correct order.

“Yeah.” It seemed almost painful for her to admit.

“You actually love me.” Jim seemed stuck on the words. “Like actual romantic love. For me.”

“Damn it, Jim. You’re my best friend. ‘Course I love you.” She was deflecting now. Not looking Jim in the eye. 

She sure figured out fast how to deflect Jim’s new found ability. 

“But it’s more than that?” She questioned again.

“Don’t torture me, Jennifer.” Lenora walked away. Slamming the tricorder down on her desk. “This is bad enough without you making me repeat my embarrassment.”

Jim wrenched herself off the couch, vertigo hitting her full force as she got to her feet and practically stumbled across the room to where her best friend was.

**God she’s so close**

Lenora looked like she didn’t know whether to run or grab her.

Jim made the choice for her by wrapping her arms around her waist, pulling herself so close to Bones their noses were brushing. 

“Bones. I’m saying I love you, too.”

**Is she going to kiss me?**

What an excellent idea. Jim leaned in closer. Letting her lips brush against Lenora’s, leaving her enough room to move away if this wasn’t actually what she wanted. 

Jim felt like sparks shot through her whole body, down to her toes as Lenora leaned into the kiss, her hand coming up to cup Jim’s face and keep her close as they trade slow, sweet kisses. Breathing each other in as much as just letting their lips caress each other.

“We’re gonna talk ‘bout this.” Lenora’s southern accent was out in full force. “Fix whatever’s gone wrong in that head of yours.”

“But for now?”

“For now. Kiss me again.”

Jim was happy to oblige. 

Thoughts raced through Jim’s mind as their lips met, thoughts she knew must have been from bones, projected even without eye contact.

Of herself being pulled onto the couch, held tight In Lenora’s arms, kissed everywhere there was skin Lenora could reach while still, finally, holding her in her arms. Just like she’d wanted to for years.

“Oh, Bones.” Jim sighed, pulling her close, stepping backwards towards the couch to give Lenora everything she wanted.

From the moment on until forever, Just like lenora was thinking. 


End file.
